Soap valve



Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT R. GOLRICK, OFSHAKER HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GER-SON-STEWART CORPORATIONCOMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO SOAP VALVEApplication filed September 4, 1928.

This invention is concerned with apparatus for dispensing liquids andmore particularly with valves for dispensing liquid soap.

More specifically, my invention is concerned with the provision of asoap dispensing valve of the plunger operated type adaptable for thedispensing of measured quantities of liquid soap upon the manualoperation of the plunger.

: Other objects of my invention will hereinafter become apparent fromthe following description which relates to the drawings, showing apreferred embodiment thereof. The essential characteristics thereof aresummarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view takenthrough the valve body and corresponding to line 11 of Fig.

2; Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse cross sectional '20 views taken throughthe valve body along the lines 2-2 and 33 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is aside view of the valve.

My invention contemplates the provision of a valve construction which isadaptable to either the so-called individual type of dispenser oradaptable for use in connection with a conduit or pipe line leading tothe washbowls from a central source of supply, such as a reservoir whichmaybe disposed or placed at any convenient location in a build ing.There have been many valve constructions proposed, as evidenced by thepatented art, and which constructions are operative to some degree.

The present construction has been evolved for the purpose of producing avalve which involves the use of a minimum number of operative partsextremely simple in character from a manufacturing and assemblyviewpoint, and which will operate in a highly eflicient manner overextensive periods of time. The main novel operative feature of thepresent valve is to be found in the arrangement of a combinedautomatically operable inlet and outlet valve control mechanismcomprising merely a freely floating plug formed of material which islighter in weight per given volume than a corresponding volume of theliquid being dispensed. This plug is associ- 50 ated with an outletvalve, preferably in the Serial No. 303,730.

form of a simple washer formed of any suitable material.

In Fig. 1, I show the valve body as being preferably formed of twohollow parts 10 and 11 threaded together in such manner that a flat endformed on the forward body part 10 is disposed within a chamber formedin the body member 11, the body member 11 be ing preferably formed atthe end 12 for suitable engagement with standard pipe connections. Thebody member 10 is provided with a compression chamber 14 and a manuallyoperated plunger 13 reciprocates therein to first draw the liquid soapfrom the pipe line through the body member 11 into the compressionchamber 14, and thereafter to express the liquid out of the valvethrough a dispensing orifice 15. 1

The body member 10 is provided with a decreased bore 16 establishingcommunication between compression chamber 14 and the interior of thebody member 11 and disposed in this decreased bore 16 is a floating,freely moving plunger member 17preferably formed of hardwood. The plug17 is caused to float against a perforated washer member 18 to seal acentral perforation formed therein when the liquid is compressed in thechamber 14. I provide a metal washer 19 and a spring member 20 formaintaining the washer 18 in a normal fiat or seated position againstthe inner end of the body member 10 to thereby seal a longitudinallyextending passageway 22 which communicates with the discharge orifice15. I

The forward end of the body member 10 may be provided with any form ofsuitable packing means such as a packing gland 24 and packing nut 25 forpreventing the leakage of the liquid along the plunger 13 when thelatter is manually forced inwardly. A. spring 26 is disposed within thecompression chamber 14 for forcing the plunger outwardly and maintainingit in a normally outward position when not in use, and the inner endthereof has a coil formed as shown at 27 in Fig. 2 to provide a barrierfor plug 17 to prevent the plug from floating into or being drawn intothe compression chamber 14.

The operation of the valve is as follows 100 We will assume that allinner spaces within the valve body, with the exception of passageway 22and orifice 15, are filled with the liquid. Upon a manual inwardmovement of the plunger 13 the plug 17 is carried rearwardly to theposition shown in Fig. 1 by backward rush of the liquid and thus closesthe orifice formed in the washer 18, that is, it obstructs communicationbetween the service line to which the valve is connected and'thecompression chamber 14. Further inward movement of the plunger 13 causesthe trapped liquid in the compression chamber to force the )lug 17 andwasher 18 rearwardly in opposition to the force of the spring 20, thuspermitting the liquid to be forced out of the compression chamber 14'through the bore 16 and between the washer 18 and inner face of thevalve body member 10, and thus cause it to be forced through thepassageway22 and discharge orifice 15.. Any momentary arresting oftheinward movement of the plunger 13 will immediately cause loss ofpressure within the compression chamber 14 and the spring 20 will consequently cause automatic seating of the washer 18 over the innerterminus of the passageway 22, and thus prevent any free flow of theliquid from the service line directly to the passageway 22 anddischargeorr fioe.

Releasing the manually operated plunger 13 permits the spring 26 toforce the same .to the" normally outward position shown in Fig. 1. Itwill be clear from the foregoing that the plug 17 is free tofloatlongitudinal-- ly in the bore 16 between the end coil 27 of the spring26, and the washer 18 and it will apparent that the valve in its closingaction is completely automatic, regardless of any position of theplunger 13 when once manual pressure is relieved on the plunger.

It will be evident from the foregoing that I provide a valveconstruction which is extremely simple in character, and which can bemanufactured at a nominal cost .as compared with other valves utilizablefor the same purpose. It is completely automatic in its port closingactions and the parts operate in such manner that any wear due toconstant use will not inany way detract from the eflicient andcontinuous operation of the valve. This is an important point, due tothe fact that while the valve in a commercial sense is but a smallarticle of commerce, nevertheless it is usually subjected to public useand frequently to abuse, and if not foolproof in a practical sense, cancause no end of annoyance and d-ifliculty in the way of service andrepair demands made upon the merchandiser of the valve.

It .is to be further understood that my invention may be embodied foruse in a valvefrom the scope of my invention as hereinafter defined inthe claims.

I claim:

1. A liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising a valve body having aninlet and an outlet, said valve body being provided with a compressionchamber, a plunger member operable within the compression chamber,passageways within the valve body connecting the inlet with thecompression chamber, and the outlet with the compression chamber, thetwo passageways uniting to form one passageway at a point near thecompression chamber, and means slidable at this common point andadaptedto keep only one passageway open at a time.

2. In a valve of 't-he charac'ter described, a valve body having aninlet and an outlet, said valve bodybeing provided with a compressionchamber, a plunger member operable within the compression chamber,passageways within the valve body connecting the inlet with thecompression chamber, and connecting the outlet with the compressionchamber, the two passageways being common at a point near thecompression 7 chamber, and means coacting with the passageways at thiscommon point to normally close the outlet passageway while leaving theinlet passageway open, but when acted upon by a fluid 1.5

under pressure in the compression chamber to reverse this order byclosing the inlet passageway and opening the outlet passageway.

3. A liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising a valve body having aninlet and an outlet, said Valvebody being providedwith a compressionchamber, .a plunger member -operable within the compression chamber,passageways within the valve body connecting the inlet with thecompression chamber, and the outlet with the compression chamber, thetwo passageways uniting to form one passageway at a point near thecompression chaniber,:and a common valve member at this point which isadapted to allow liquids to flow into the compression chamber from theinlet, and to flow from the compression chamher into the outlet upon anoutward and inward movement respectively of the plunger member.

4. In a soap valve, the combination of an elongated valve body, havingformed therein a relatively large inlet passageway, a compressionchamber and a discharge passage way, a disk member slidable within theinlet passageway and having an aperture tlierethrough, yieldable meansto hold said disk member in a position to normally seal the dischargepassageway, said disk member being substantially the same shape as across a section of said inlet passageway to prevent liquids from passingfrom one side of the disk member to the other, except through saidaperture, .a floating member adapted to close said aperture and means tocreate a pressure within the compression chamber whereby said float-ingmember seals said aperture in the disk member and the yieldable meansallows the disk member to move away from the discharge passageway, thusallowing liquid under pressure to escape through said dischargepassageway.

5. A liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising a valve body having aninlet and an outlet, said valve body being provided with a compressionchamber, a plunger member 0perable within the compression chamber,passageways within the valve body, connecting the inlet with thecompression chamber, and the outlet with the compression chamber, thetwo passageways uniting to form one passageway at a point near thecompression chamber, a spring actuated washer and a floating memberadapted to coactat this point to serve as a combined inlet and outletliquid check.

6. A liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising a valve body having formedtherein a relatively large inlet passageway, a compression chamber, adischarge passageway and a compression chamber passageway smaller indiameter than the compression chamber and leading from the compressionchamber into said inlet passageway, the discharge passageway leadinginto the relatively large inlet passageway, and at a point substantiallyon the same plane where the compression chamber passageway leads intosaid inlet passageway, a washer slidable within said inlet passageway, aspring adapted to hold said washer against the discharge and compressioncham ber passageways, said washer member having an aperture therein topermit the flow of liquid from one side of the washer to the other, aplunger operable within the compression chamber, a spring formaintaining the plunger in a normally outward position, a floatingmember within the compression passageway and guided thereby, saidfloating member being adapted to close the aperture in the washer memberwhen acted upon by a fluid under pressure in the compression chamber tothus close all communication b tween said inlet passageway and thecompression chamber, whereby, when the inlet is closed, liquid underpressure within the compression chamber will move the washer memberbackwards from its normal position, to allow the liquid to pass from thecompression chamber into the discharge passageway.

'Z. In a soap valve, the combination of an elongated valve body havingformed therein a relatively large inlet passageway, a compressionchamber communicating with the inlet passageway, a discharge passagewaycommunicating with said inlet passageway, a disk slidable in said inletpassageway and adapted to normally close the discharge passageway, therebeing yieldable means to allow the disk to move to open the dischargepassageway upon a predetermined pressure being reached signature.

ALBERT R. GOLRIGK.

